Whom you think of as a foe, is more of a measure of you than it is of them
Any conversation about you in which you aren’t present yourself isn’t really about you nor for you. It’s about those holding the conversation.
On Facebook everyone pretends to be friends.
On Twitter everyone pretends to be an expert.
On LinkedIn everyone pretends to be professional.
On Instagram everyone pretends to be happy.
In real life…
Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do, and… Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do. Our hobbies should be a form of dissent, a radical expression of our individuality, a celebration of doing things that we’re not obliged to do. Hobbies should celebrate their independence from labor.
We are starting to think that the purpose of our life is to, firstly find somebody, whom they love and with whom they build a life together, build a unit together to face the world. And the other great source of meaning is to find a job of purpose, a job that not only creates money but also creates purpose.
No wonder we are all fairly unhappy one or two times a day, as one of these assumptions cracks. To be a modern individual is to be weigh down by these two ideals of love and work.
Never before in history and people expected so much from themselves and from life. No wonder we are frequently dissapointed.
Alain de Botton: A job becomes meaningful, if in some way or another, that job leaves you feeling at the end of every day, that you have in some ways helped either reduce the suffering or increased the pleasure of another human being.
According to Vilfredo Pareto, the modern economy should feel fairly meaningless.
Most meaningful jobs in our fantasy, where we see the effort of our labor on a sustainable timescale:
- Doctor
- Running a small bed and breakfest
- Bakery
You know you are living in an advanced economy, if somebody at a party tells you about a job you don’t understand.
The moral basis of capitalism is not to fullfil the essential needs.
Advertising is so clever because it knows what we need. It just refuses to sell it to us. We end up with consumer good and not the thing we really need.
Technology allows to get inside our minds and to create products that understand our higher needs.
“He’ll have a long life as long as he never knows himself.“
if no one ever seems right for you, and then the one person who does seem right doesn’t want you, then the problem isn’t the person, the problem is you.
https://thelastpsychiatrist.com/2012/10/the_story_of_narcissus.html
Measure experience in exposure to shocks rather than years
If you are easily provoked you are easily controlled.
- face it
- accept it
- deal with it
- then let it go
You always own the option of having no opinion. There is never any need to get worked up or to trouble your soul about things you can’t control. These things are not asking to be judged by you. Leave them alone
Marcus Aurelius
People show you who they are with their actions all you have to do is listen.
It takes away the problems that lack of money creates.
The Anna Karenina principle